Ice skates having heated blades



Jan. 28, 1964 CZAJA 3,119,921

ICE SKATES HAVING HEATED BLADES Filed NOV. 2, 1962 70 s 3 f 5 /0 68 65 42 v? INVENTOR.

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United States Patent O 3,119,921 ICE KATE HAVHNG HEATED BLADES Julius Craia, 129 Norwood Ave, Syracuse 6, NX. Filed Nov. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 235,076 *Claims. ill. 219-19) This invention relates to novel ice skates having heated blades.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of efficient and practical skates of the kind indicated wherein the heat of their blades is transferred to ice upon which the edges of the blades are pressed and moved endwise, so that production of the lubricating water film normally resulting from the combination of pressure and friction is increased, whereby more controlled and easier skating on both soft and hard ice is obtained, especially in forms of skating wherein only one edge at a time of hollowground blade edges are in contact with the ice; and wherein, as a secondary benefit, the heating of the blades produces warmth which is transferred to the feet of the skater, through the frames of the skates.

Another object of the invention is the provision of ice skates of the character indicated above, wherein the blade heating means comprises electrical heating elements mounted in direct heat transfer relationship to the blades, the heating elements being automatically energized and deenergized by rechargeable electric batteries, mounted on the skates and connected to the heating elements by circuits which include thermostatic switches in heat transfer relationship to the blades.

A further object of the invention is the provision of ska es of the character indicated above, wherein the blades are composed of hardened steel blade forms whose side surfaces are covered by an inner copper plating, overlaid by an intermediate nickel plating, which is in turn overlaid by an outer chrome plating, and the electrical heating elements are in the form of strips extending along the sides of the blades in direct contact with tne copper plating portions, the nickel and chrome platings having been removed to accommodate the strips.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, specific forms of the invention are set forth in detail.

lo the drawings:

FEGURE 1 is a perspective view of an ice skate in accordance with the present invention, having a skating shoe secured thereon;

FlGURE 2 is a fragmentary and enlarged left-hand side elevation of FIGURE 1;

FlGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line of FIGURE 2;

FlGURE. 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken on the line of FIGURE 2;

FlGURE 5 is a fragmentary left-hand side elevation of another embodiment of the invention; and,

FIGURE 6 is a wiring diagram for both embodiments of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like and related numerals designate like and related parts throughout the several views, and first to FIGURES 1 to 3, the skate therein shown comprises a blade ltd whose bottom or ice-contacting surface is hollow ground, as indicated at H, to provide two laterally spaced sharp edges 14. While a figure skate is shown, it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to other forms of ice skates.

The frame of the illustrated skate includes, besides the blade ill, which has a flat straight upper edge 16, a forward upright 18, adjacent to the forward end of the blade,

an intermediate upright 2t spaced rearwardly from the forward upright, and a rear upright 22 spaced rearwardly from the intermediate upright, these uprights being heat inductive and in heat transfer relationship to the blade. The forward and intermediate uprights support a heat conductive sole plate 2%, which extends therebetween and is in heat transfer relationship thereto. A heat conductive heel plate 26 is supported on the rear upright 22 and is in heat transfer relationship thereto. The sole plate 24* and the heel plate 24) are in heat transfer relationship to the sole 23 and the heel 3d, respectively, of a skating shoe S mounted thereon.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the blade ill is composed of a hardened steel form 32 whose side edges are covered by an inner copper plating 3%, which is overlaid by an intermediate nickel plating 36, which is in turn overlaid by an outer chrome plating 38. The nickel and chrome platings have substantially less heat transfer capacity than the copper plating, so that they serve to delay transfer of heat present in the steel form and the copper plating to the air, and hence act as heat insulators for retaining heat in the blade ill.

in order to provide for direct heat transfer to the copper plating 34 and the upper edge 16 of the blade 19, upper portions of the platings as and 38 are removed, so as to expose the outer surfaces of the copper platings 34, and provide longitudinal grooves 48', in which insulated electrical strip heating elements are seated. in the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, the recess 17, the grooves id, and the heating elements 42 extend along the blade id for the major part of the length thereof, and terminate close to the forward upright 18, and the rear upright 22, and a longitudinal recess 17, coextensive with the grooves, is formed in the upper edge id of the blade id.

The h ating elements, as shown in FIGURE 4, are preferably of flat rectangular cross section, and are thicker than the combined platings, and the upper parts of the platings 3d and are extended laterally outwardly, from the steel form 32, to define bottom walls 44, and extended upwardly to define side walls as, and across the tops of the heating elements, and joined across the upper edge of the blade lid, to define a top wall 47, the resultant being a housing d3 which encloses the heat'mg elements and the upper edge of the blade. The top wall 46 is seated in the recess 17, hush with the upper edge 16 of the blade.

A rechargeable electric battery 5d is supported upon the housing 4-3, and engaged with the forward edge of the skating shoe heel fill, to which it is removably secured, as by means of a band clamp 54. A two-wire conduit 5s extends forwardly from the battery to a combination on'and-ofi and thermostatic switch 58, which is suitably fixed to one side of the intermediate upright 20. The switch 5% has an exposed actuator 6%). Wires 62 and as ead from the switch to opposite ends of both heating elements 4-2, as shown in FIGURE 6. The switch 58 comprises a thermal arm as, related to a contact 68, which are connected in the wire 62., along with the switch contact as and the switch arm "id of the actuator, the arrangement providing for engagement of the arm 66 with its contact 68, only when the temperature of the blade 1i? subsides below a predetermined level. The heating elements raise the temperature of the blade high enough to melt ice under its edges, when either edge is in compressive and frictional contact with the ice, to enhance the normal production of the lubricating water film on the ice beneath the edges of the blade It The form of the invention shown in FIGURE 5, differs from that described hereinabove, only in that the housing 43:1, and the heating elements enclosed therein are shorter.

The housing 341 extends rearwardly from a point adjacent to the forward upright 18 and terminates, at its rear end as indicated at 72, at a point just beyond the intermediate upright 20, and in relatively greatly spaced relationship to the rear upright 22, the length of the blade subtended by the heating elements in the housing 48a being the part of the blade which is in a major contact with the ice in skating.

Sufficient transfer of heat from the heated blade 10 takes place between the blade, the upright, and the sole and heel plates of the skate to warm the sole '74 and the heel of the shoe S, and hence the foot of the wearer thereof.

Although there have been shown and described preferred forms of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An ice skate comprising a heat conductive blade having an ice-contacting surface on its underside, and heating means mounted on the blade and in heat transfer contact with the opposite sides of the blade, said blade comprising copper platings on the side surfaces of the blade, platings of less heat conductivity than the copper platings and overlying the copper platings, and means carried by the skate and operatively connected to the heating means for energizing the heating means.

2. The ice skate according to claim 1 wherein each of such platings comprise an intermediate plating overlying the adjacent copper plating, and an outer plating overlying the intermediate plating.

3. An ice skate comprising a heat conductive blade having an ice-contacting surface On its underside, and heating means mounted on the blade and in heat transfer contact with the opposite sides of the blade, said heating means comprising a housing enclosing the upper edge of the blade and the opposite sides of the blade, electrical heating elements within the housing and in heat transfer contact with the opposite sides of the blade, and means carried by the skate for energizing the heating elements, said blade comprising a hardened steel form, inner copper platings on the side surfaces of the blade, intermediate platings overlying the copper platings, and outer platings overlying the intermediate platings, said intermediate and outer platings being substantially less heat conductive than the copper platings, portions of the intermediate and outer platings along the upper edge of the blade being spaced outwardly from and exposing the copper plating, the heating elements being in direct contact with the exposed portions of the copper platings.

4. An ice skate comprising a heat conductive blade having an ice-contacting surface on its underside, and heating means mounted on the blade and in heat transfer contact with the opposite sides of the blade, said heating means comprising a housing enclosing the upper edge of the blade and the opposite sides of the blade, electrical heating elements within the housing and in heat transfer contact with the opposite sides of the blade, and means 4 carried by the skate for energizing the heating elements, :said blade comprising a hardened steel form, inner copper platings on the side surfaces of the blade, intermediate platings overlying the copper platings, and outer platings overlying the intermediate platings, said intermediate and outer platings being substantially less heat conductive than the copper platings, portions of the intermediate and router platings along the upper edge of the blade being spaced outwardly from and exposing the copper plating, :the heating elements being in direct contact with the exposed portions of the copper platings, the intermediate :and outer platings being extended laterally outwardly from the copper plating and upwardly in laterally outwardly spaced relationship to the copper plating to define bottom walls and sidewalls of said housing, and extended laterally inwardly over the upper edge and joined to define a top wall of said housing, the heating elements being 5 continued in the spaces between the housing sidewalls and the outer surfaces of the copper platings.

5. An ice skate comprising a heat conductive blade having an ice-contacting surface on its underside, and heating means mounted on the blade and in heat transfer contact with the opposite sides of the blade, said heating means comprising a housing enclosing the upper edge of the blade and the opposite sides of the blade, electrical iheating elements within the housing and in heat transfer contact with the opposite sides of the blade, and means carried by the skate for energizing the heating elements, said blade comprising a hardened steel form, inner copper platings on the side surfaces of the blade, intermediate platings overlying the copper platings, and outer platings overlying the intermediate platings, said intermediate and outer platings being substantially less heat conductive than the copper platings, portions of the intermediate and outer platings along the upper edge of the blade being :spaced outwardly from and exposing the copper plating, the heating elements being in direct contact with the exposed portions of the copper platings, the intermediate vand outer platings being extended laterally outwardly from the copper plating and upwardly in laterally outwardly spaced relationship to the copper plating to define bottom walls and sidewalls of said housing, and

extended laterally inwardly over the upper edge and joined to define a top wall of said housing, the heating elements being continued in the spaces between the housing sidewalls and the outer surfaces of the copper platings, the upper edge of the blade being formed with a recess coextensive with the housing, in which the housing top wall is seated flush with the upper edge of the blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,726,579 Oestrick Sept. 3, 1929 2,034,880 Sackett Mar. 24, 1936 2,699,484 M-ichaels Jan. 11, 1955 3,026,118 Pare Mar. 20, 1962 3,079,486 Winchell Feb. 26, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,790 Great Britain of 1865 526,592 Great Britain a Sept. 20, 1940 

1. AN ICE SKATE COMPRISING A HEAT CONDUCTIVE BLADE HAVING AN ICE-CONTACTING SURFACE ON ITS UNDERSIDE, AND HEATING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE BLADE AND IN HEAT TRANSFER CONTACT WITH THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BLADE, SAID BLADE COMPRISING COPPER PLATINGS ON THE SIDE SURFACES OF THE BLADE, PLATINGS OF LESS HEAT CONDUCTIVITY THAN THE COPPER PLATINGS AND OVERLYING THE COPPER PLATINGS, AND MEANS CARRIED BY THE SKATE AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE HEATING MEANS FOR ENERGIZING THE HEATING MEANS. 